Under the Hazel's Shade
by captaineko
Summary: HazelClan is cursed by StarClan for renouncing their ancestors. When the clan medicine cat receives a prophecy foretelling HazelClan's destruction, it's up to four cats to convince their clanmates to leave their home and travel under the guidance of the stars. *OC submission closed*
1. Allegiances

HazelClan

 **Leader** : RUSHMOON light blueish-grey tom with a scarred muzzle and dark brown eyes _Unpaired_

 **Deputy** : WASPSTRIKE tall and large dark grey tiger tabby tom with dark green eyes _Partner: Stormfall_

 **Medicine Cat:** WILLOWTUFT fluffy grey tabby she-cat with a white patch on her chest and pale green eyes _Partner: Brightpoppy_

 **Apprentice:**

GORSEDEW calico tom with a green right eye and a blind left one _Partner: Icetalon_

 **Warriors:**

CHOCOLATE a black tom with brown eyes _Unpaired_ (Apprentice: Acornpaw)

CREAM a light brown tom with patches of white and hazel eyes _Unpaired_ (Apprentice: Honeypaw)

QUAILWING a spotted brown tabby she-cat with green eyes _Partner: Finchwing (deceased)_

SPECKLEDPOOL a spotted grey tabby tom with hazel eyes _Partner: Poppyshine_

POPPYSHINE a spotted brown tabby she-cat with hazel eyes _Partner: Speckledpool_

STORMFALL mottled dark grey she cat with one white paw and copper eyes _Partner_ : _Waspstrike_

ICETALON white tom with broad sholders and amber eyes _Partner: Gorsedew_

WOLFTAIL sleek grey tabby tom with yellow eyes _Partner: Iceclaw (Deceased)_ (Apprentice: Chirppaw)

CINDERCLOUD tiny smokey grey she-cat with messy fur, small scars and deep blue eyes _Partner: Lionfang_ (Apprentice: Deadpaw)

LIONFANG large golden tabby she-cat with long, thick soft fur and warm amber eyes _Partner:_ _Cindercloud_ (Apprentice: Elmpaw)

SCARLETFUR dark ginger she-cat with long silky fur _Partner: Echobird_

ECHOBIRD pale grey, almost white, dappled she-cat with soft fur with blue eyes _Partner: Scarletfur_

GOLDENLEAF golden tabby she-cat with a lighter underbelly and green eyes _Unpaired_

DAISYFROST small white and cream she-cat with long fur and blue eyes _Partner: Oakshade_

OAKSHADE muscular dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes _Partner: Daisyfrost_

PINEWHISKER muscular dark brown tabby with amber eyes _Partner: Cloudfeather_

CLOUDFEATHER white fluffy she-cat with chocolate brown eyes _Partner: Pinewhisker_

JAYPETAL fluffy blue-grey tabby with white markings and blue eyes _Partner: Bluestorm_

BLUESTORM sleek blue-grey tabby with greenish-yellow eyes _Partner: Jaypetal_

 **Apprentices** :

HONEYPAW a golden-brown she-cat with copper eyes _Partner: Acornpaw_

ACORNPAW a golden-brown tom with amber eyes _Partner: Honeypaw_

ELMPAW a light brown tabby tom with icy blue eyes _Partner: Deadpaw_

DEADPAW a black tom with blackish-grey stripes, yellow eyes, and a grey muzzle _Partner: Elmpaw_

CHIRPPAW a tawny she-cat with copper eyes _Unpaired_

 **Queens Kits:**

STREAMFLOWER grey and black she-cat with blue eyes _Partner: Minnowpaw (Deceased)_

Nursing Icetalon's kits:

ROSEKIT dark grey tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes _Unpaired_

ANTKIT ginger tom with green eyes _Unpaired_

FROSTKIT pale grey tom with blue eyes _Unpaired_

BRIGHTPOPPY pretty calico she-cat with long, soft fur and icy blue eyes _Partner: Willowtuft_

Nursing Wolftail's kits:

ASHENKIT long furred grey tabby tom with icy blue eyes _Unpaired_

SKYKIT calico she-cat with long fur and icy blue eyes _Unpaired_

 **Elders** :

KINKBURR black she-cat with a white tail and blue eyes _Partner: Swirltail_

SWIRLTAIL white she-cat with a black tail and green eyes _Partner: Kinkburr_

JUNIPERFROST large dark brown she-cat with light brown eyes _Partner: Bramblefall (Deceased)_

THISTLELEAP greying dappled pale brown tom with dull amber eyes _Partner: Snowbreeze (Deceased)_

Cats Outside of Clans:

WHITEBITE white tom with a black muzzle, black ears and greyish-blue eyes

SUNFLAME pale orange tom with white ears and golden-yellow eyes

NORTH white tom with a sleek pelt, a long skinny tail and amber eyes

TUBBY brown tabby she-cat with a white belly and hazel eyes

EMBER ginger she-cat with golden eyes

COFFEE dark brown she-cat with brown eyes

BURN pale brown tabby tom with a burnt face and green eyes


	2. Prologue: Nursery Ryhmes

**A/N: I've had this typed up for the longest time but I'm finally posting it.**

 **b0b: The curse only applies to clan born cats so any cat who is unpaired past six moons would be a former loner or kittypet.**

Speckledkit was like her, just grey. They had the same spots in the same places, but Poppykit's spots covered a pelt made of a light brown. They both had the odd tabby stripe and a long strip of black down their backs. Poppykit enjoyed staring at Speckledkit. Afterall, she would be spending the rest of her life as him. Poppykit would cease to be Poppykit, the adorable brown spotted she-cat, and become Speckledpaw the tom.

She wasn't upset about the change. The Curse has been a part of her life since she was born and it would always be a part of her life.

That was how HazelClan worked. Every clanborn kit was partnered up before they reached six moons and then they swapped bodies for the rest of their lives.

A swapped cat would receive a their apprentice name regardless of their age, and Poppykit had even heard tales of a new-born kit being named an apprentice.

One unfortunate kit was Echopaw who was born to Juniperfrost as Scarletkit. Being the queen's only kit, she was in need of a partner; else she wouldn't wake up on the day of her ceremony. Despite Poppykit and her brother being closer in age, somehow Scarletkit was paired with the one moon old Echokit. When the two swapped, Echokit become Scarletkit and vice-versa, the young kit was given her apprentice ceremony that morning.

Scarletkit the sweet and shy kit was now called Echopaw and had a new coat of fur to match.

As much as HazelClan despises StarClan and The Curse, they still let it rule their everyday life. Paired kits always became apprentices together and that same pair would become warriors together, or medicine cat and warrior together.

Nestled in the nursery were two queens and four kits. Poppykit and her brother were tucked snuggly beside a brown tabby she-cat whose pelt was flecked in small stripes that looked like spots. That was Quailwing, Poppykit's mother. Another cat who was a similar size to Quailwing, if not a little larger, was the mother to the other kits of the den. Under the shade of the den, her usually bright golden fur was a deep dirt brown. It stuck up at a few places from restless sleep and the stress which comes from having kits.

Poppykit thoughts wandered as did her eyes as she looked over the three moon old pair of kits. While they slept soundly, the brown kit considered what it would be like to change with one of them. Afterall, pairings could extend past the blood ties of siblings and connect two unrelated cats for life. Although it was more likely Poppykit would switch with her brother. The two being the same age and all. There was still a chance she could become the sweet and kind Honeykit. Her fur would become soft golden-brown waves of fur which looked like her namesake. Soft-spoken and kind, Poppykit, now Honeypaw, could get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

Or there was the larger, yet still tiny, Acornkit. He had the same golden fur as his sister, but it looked firm and somehow stronger than hers.

Poppykit always admired the young tom, but she wasn't too keen on becoming him. She wanted something like a partnership, but something different.

Poppykit's musings were cut off by a gruff cough and a squishy noise as a fish was placed next to Quailwing.

"Did I wake you?" A voice belonging to Chocolate asked softly.

The brown kit turned up to see the black pelt of her father. While Chocolate appeared to have black fur, in some lights you could just barely make out a dark brown. He was standing a bit awkwardly with his tail flicking back and forth, which wasn't much different from usual. The tom always paid too much attention to the way he held himself. Sometimes forcing his shoulders back and his chest out, and other times he tried to act cheerful despite being a nervous mess.

"No, I was already up," Poppykit said quietly. She used a spare paw to clean her face and let her shoulders hang loosely. Anything to appear less nervous then she was.

"Last evening as yourself…" Chocolate trailed off into a mumble. Despite his best intentions, Chocolate's eyes flicked back and forth between his two kits. Unsure of which one he was speaking with.

If it wasn't clear by his name, Chocolate was a former kittypet. No cat really knew what his name meant, but whenever someone asked him what it meant Chocolate just laughed and mumbled something to himself. Going from the comfort of his twolegs' den straight to the Clan, he was taken aback by the conditions surrounding HazelClan. Eventually, Chocolate grew to accept seeing cats walking, talking and living as pairs. He was now fully committed to the clan and helped hunt and border patrol, but refused to change his name. Sentimental reasons.

"I'll be alright." Poppykit smiled.

The brown tom's expression softened, and he leaned forward to give Poppykit's head a lick. The small kit leaned into it and gave off a soft purr.

"Chocolate!" A sharp voice called from outside the den.

Poppykit peered around her father to see the tall statue of Willowtuft. The medicine cat had long flowing grey fur and a patch of pristine white on her chest. She held herself with confidence and she had eyes that stared daggers at any passerby. Next to her was the Clan leader Rushmoon. He too was grey, but his fur had a hint of blue that was reminiscent of murky water. He towered over Willowtuft, and had a jagged scar that stretched across his muzzle and almost tore into his mouth. But his imposing figure was softened by a sort of kind glimmer in his eyes.

They were both watching Chocolate as he muttered a sweet goodbye to Poppykit and went out to join them. Yet when the dark brown tom started to speak with Rushmoon, Willowtuft continued to stare. Poppykit, unsure of what to do, stared back and found herself transfixed by curiosity. The medicine cat seemed to appraise Poppykit as if to judge her worthy for some contest.

While she was scouting, Willowtuft missed the limping grey she-cat who appeared her side and tried to get her attention to no avail. Upon seeing that the cat was even smaller than herself, Poppykit noticed everything else that made the she-cat undeniably the three moon old Echopaw. Echopaw's fur was mostly made up of the soft kit fur which Poppykit had outgrown a moon ago.Another cat, who wore a deep dark ginger coat, came into the edge of Poppykit's vision. The only cat whose fur perpetually spiked up from anger was Scarletpaw. The red cat brushed against the grey one before hissing at Willowtuft.

"Will you stop staring at some kit and do your job? If you haven't noticed Echopaw is injured!"

"Scarletpaw, come on be a bit nicer…" Echopaw spoke calmly, but it was easy to hear the sharp edge of pain.

Willowtuft took a breath before turning her gaze on the pair. Her eyes traveled along Echopaw's injured leg before stopping at the bloody gash right above the apprentice's paw.

"Don't fear Scarletpaw," Poppykit heard the soothing sound of her mother's voice up against her ear. The kit noticed the way her fur was spiking up and forced herself to relax.

"But she's always angry,"

"She's upset that Echopaw had to start training in a weaker body because they were paired."

"So she feels responsible?"

"Something like that. You'll understand that feeling someday. A clancat's partner means everything to them. It is a cat who knows how you feel."

Poppykit eyes widened with wonder as she stared at her mother. "What about you? You don't have a partner."

"I did. Finchwing was my other half. We did everything together."

Poppykit fell silent. "How does it feel to not have a partner anymore?" She whispered.

"Who said I don't have one?"

"Who-" Poppykit was silenced by her mother flicking her tail towards Chocolate who was still speaking with Rushmoon.

"Maybe we weren't swapped at birth, but Chocolate knows me as any partner would. Maybe you'll meet someone like that."

Poppykit glanced at the sleeping body of Acornkit.

"Can Acornkit be my partner? Not partners like you and Finchwing, but partners like you and Chocolate."

"Maybe… Or maybe you'll meet someone else."

"But, how do I know if I can be partners with them."

"You'll have to wait and see."

"Wait?"

"Be patient Poppykit and everything will work out."

"Okay…"

Quailwing brushed her tail over Poppykit's eyes. "But for now, go to sleep see who you wake up as."

"But what if I don't wake up?! What if I don't get paired with anyone."

"Be calm, and everything will be alright."

When Poppykit woke up she saw small grey paws covered with black spots.


End file.
